Happy Friday and Happy Halloween weekend!
Whether you're handing out sweets, headed to a party, or finally wearing the costume you've been planning for months, we hope this weekend brings a little play into your routine.
In today's issue, we discuss: the muscle protein that might explain why exercise helps blood sugar, what your tea habit could mean for your heart, and why dressing up isn't just for kids.
P.S. Breast Cancer Awareness Month wraps up tomorrow. If you've been putting off your mammogram, take this as your reminder to call your doctor’s office to get it on your calendar. 🎀
Today’s headlines:
Exercise might help control a diabetes-linked protein
The relationship between tea and your heart
The grown-up case for costumes
Are you dressing up this Halloween?
SPOTLIGHT
Exercise might reduce a type of muscle protein linked to type 2 diabetes
This might finally explain why movement is so good for blood sugar.
Researchers may have discovered why exercise can lower blood sugar, and it comes down to clearing out a protein in your muscles.
What researchers found
When scientists studied muscle tissue in people with type 2 diabetes, they observed a buildup of a potentially trouble-making protein called Miro1. Miro1 sits on mitochondria, the tiny energy powerhouses inside your cells.
Published in Nature Communications, researchers found that:
Removing Miro1 restores insulin response in muscle tissue. This is the hormone that moves sugar out of your blood.
Aerobic exercise reduced Miro1 in people with type 2 diabetes and improved insulin sensitivity and muscle energy production.
People with obesity but no diabetes didn't show the same buildup of Miro1, suggesting that the protein is linked with diabetes.
Why this matters
Your muscles handle over 80% of the sugar that insulin clears from your blood after a meal. If muscles stop responding to insulin (this is insulin resistance), blood sugar rises. This research suggests exercise might tackle that problem at the source. This matters as you age since we naturally lose muscle over time, and blood sugar that stays consistently high for years can damage your heart, kidneys, nerves, and eyes, just to name a few!
The takeaway: A brisk walk or bike ride can help your muscles clear sugar better and protect your health span. If you’re crunched for time, lean on exercise snacks, such as a few jumping jacks, dancing to your favorite song, or even holding a few yoga poses. Every little bit of movement helps!
Sponsored by: PerfeQtion
WELLNESS WATCH
Tea drinkers might have lower heart disease risk, except if they did this one thing
A daily cup of tea has been shown to benefit your heart, as long as you let it cool a little first.
What researchers found
When researchers tracked nearly half a million adults in China for close to a decade, daily tea drinkers had an 11% lower risk of heart and blood vessel disease, including stroke, than people who didn't drink tea regularly.
But the study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, also found that how you brew your tea might matter:
Black tea showed more consistent links to lower risk than green tea.
Moderate-strength tea reduces the risk the most.
People who drank their tea “burning hot” had a higher risk of heart disease than non-tea drinkers.
Why this matters
This was an observational study, so it can't prove that tea itself protects the heart. However, the lowest risk appears to show up in people who drink tea regularly, don’t smoke, and stay physically active. Small daily rituals add up when you stack them on top of other health-conscious habits.
The takeaway: Brew a cup of your favorite tea, let it cool a bit, and take it with you on a walk. Your heart and your health span will thank you.
IN OTHER NEWS
Play dress-up to age better
About half of U.S. adults plan to wear a costume this year, according to the National Retail Federation. On the surface, dressing up feels like it’s just for fun, but it can also change how you feel:
Enclothed cognition: What you wear shapes how you think and act, an idea psychologists call “enclothed cognition.” Put on a superhero costume, and you might speak more directly and walk with more confidence.
This “big kid” approach might pay off long after Halloween. In a study of adults 60 and older, more playful people reported greater well-being, and playing with others gave the biggest boost.
Big picture: Play keeps you connected and laughing, two things that help you age well.
And Halloween as an adult can look different too, especially as we think about our health. A new analysis of 37 popular Halloween candies found that fruity and chewy picks like Smarties and candy corn contain more sugar by weight than chocolate bars. You might not necessarily have to reach for apple slices as your Halloween treat, but try a fun-size chocolate bar and leave the candy corn for decor.
SHORT LONGEVITY HITS
One violin lesson changes your brain in a surprising way.
Nature’s plaque fighter: Unsweetened cranberry juice may be a functional beverage that reduces dental plaque growth and acid production.
Join us in San Francisco
We’re coming back to San Francisco on March 5-6 for The Livelong Women’s Health Summit!
Two days of evidence-backed conversations about the health decisions that shape how women live, feel, and age. From hormones and menopause to strength, brain health, fertility, longevity, prevention, nutrition, and more.
Come with questions. Leave with better answers, practical strategies, and a clearer understanding of your health and what's possible in the years ahead.
LONG-LEVITY
44% of Americans report a connection with the dead
The dead may be gone, but many of us still feel their ghosts.
In a 2023 Pew survey, 44% of Americans reported feeling a deceased relative’s presence, talking to them, or receiving communication in the previous year.
Haunting research now puts a number on this “shadow population,” which demographers argue should be counted in population studies because of their lasting influence on our lives today. Using information from Black and white Americans, researchers estimate:
Ties to deceased relatives outnumber living people more than 3:1. On average, we’re still thinking about relatives who died 25 years ago.
Unbelievably, more than 50% of our ties with the dead are with people born over 100 years ago. ❤️ Whether it’s a familiar saying, a holiday ritual, a decision made with someone’s voice in mind, many of us keep a relationship with the dead for long after they’ve gone.
Q: Who among your deceased still affects your life to this day?
NEW AT LIVELONG
Join us for one of our upcoming Studio Session virtual events
THURS, NOV 5 · 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT
The Truth About Aging with Clarity, Dignity, and Purpose
with Dr. Rosanne Leipzig
READER RESPONSE
Highlighting your responses to last week's question, featured in Your snacks might show up on your brain scan. We asked:
Would you tell your surgeon about cannabis use?
This question isn’t even on most of your radar (69% of you don’t use cannabis). But if you do, honesty is the best policy. As one reader puts it, “I have major sleep issues and use edibles and smoke to get to sleep. I’m honest with my medical people.”
But before anyone cuts you open, it’s always a good idea to tell your medical team what you’re putting in your body.
Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend.
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
